CEO Mr Rik Parkhill, who also spent time with staff at the CIBC FirstCaribbean branches in Tortola and Virgin Gorda, rounded off his visit with a courtesy call on the Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith in the company of the Minister for Communication and Works, Honourable Mark H. Vanterpool. Photo: Provided

Mr Parkhill, who was in the territory August 12 – 14, spent last Thursday touring recently completed projects on Virgin Gorda. The tour included visits to properties in the North Sound as well as on the east coast of the island.

“I am impressed with the number of quality projects that have just been completed and which are being undertaken in Virgin Gorda,” said Mr Parkhill. “It’s reassuring to see that the area is attracting investment, and notably, that most of it is on high-end development projects with growth potential for the development of support services from CIBC FirstCaribbean as well as other businesses in the community.”

On Friday, Mr Claude Skelton-Cline, Managing Director of BVI Ports Authority (BVIPA) hosted Mr Parkhill at a viewing of the Cruise Ship Pier development project on Tortola.

CIBC FirstCaribbean had recently approved a loan of $15 million to the BVI Ports Authority to complete the landside development and Mr Parkhill was pleased to see the progress and quality of the work undertaken on the project.

“I am struck by the cruise ship pier expansion as well as the thoughtful planning and design of the Tortola Pier Park,” commented Mr Parkhill. “The aspect takes in the landscape of Road Town and topography of Tortola to provide a great backdrop for the buildings. The quality of construction and the detail that has gone into the accents around the village also caught my eye. Overall, I must say that this project measures up favourably against the other established cruise ship ports of call such as Miami, Cayman, and Barbados.”

Mr Parkhill, who also spent time with staff at the CIBC FirstCaribbean branches in Tortola and Virgin Gorda, rounded off his visit with a courtesy call on the Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith in the company of the Minister for Communication and Works, Honourable Mark Vanterpool.

Mr Parkhill is based at the CIBC FirstCaribbean Head Office location in Barbados. The Virgin Islands was one of Mr Parkhill’s stops during a routine visit of the regional branches of the bank.